By Richie Murray
Ocala, Florida (February 12, 2020)………Just four days following his latest victory at Bubba Raceway Park, Chris Windom turned the fastest time in Wednesday night’s USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car practice with a lap of 13.564 seconds around the 3/8-mile D-shaped track.
Windom (Canton, Ill.), who captured the victory in last Saturday’s USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget feature at Bubba’s, set the fastest time in Wednesday’s sprint practice during the second of five sessions. The 2017 USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car champion also topped session three in his Hayward Motorsports/NOS Energy Drink – OILFIRE – B & H Contractors/DRC/Claxton Mopar.
Hayward Motorsports has gotten off to a hot start in USAC competition thus far in 2020. With the midget last weekend at Bubba’s, the Hayward team won Friday night’s feature with driver Tanner Thorson, then established a new one-lap track record on Saturday, again with Thorson.
Windom was followed in Wednesday’s practice by two-time series champ and two-time Bubba’s USAC Sprint winner Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, Okla.) at 13.683. Kevin Thomas Jr. (Cullman, Ala.), who is seeking his first Bubba’s win after being the only driver to finish in the top-five in all three series starts last year at the track, was third at 13.731. Chase Stockon (Fort Branch, Ind.), a 2018 Bubba’s winner, was fourth at 13.737, while Kyle Cummins (Princeton, Ind.), who finished on the podium at Bubba’s all three nights in 2016, rounded out the top-five at 13.804.
Bacon tested two different cars in Wednesday’s practice, the No. 69 and the backup No. 69OT, which he took to eighth fastest overall. USAC Triple Crown champ Dave Darland also competed in two different cars for the EZR/Curb-Agajanian team, timing in 21st out of the 29 drivers that hit the track.
No major incidents occurred during the night. Connor Leoffler (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) spun in turn two but continued on without contact. Evan Mosley (Lapel, Ind.) had flame erupt from the engine compartment of his car, forcing him to stop on the track. Reigning series champion C.J. Leary’s new team, Gene Gile Racing, changed engines on their ride, but the Greenfield, Ind. driver returned to compete in the final session of the night, taking the 18th overall best time.
Winter Dirt Games XI resumes Thursday, Feb. 13, Friday, Feb. 14 and Saturday, Feb. 15. Pits open each night at 4pm Eastern, the grandstands open at 5pm, the drivers meeting begins at 6pm with cars getting on track at 6:30pm.
Each night, general admission tickets for adults are $30 and $20 for kids age 11-15. Pit passes are $40 apiece. You can watch all the action live on www.FloRacing.com. You may also follow along with live timing from the event on the USAC app as well as on the Race Monitor app.
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USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PRACTICE RESULTS: February 12, 2020 – Bubba Raceway Park – Ocala, Florida – Winter Dirt Games XI
PRACTICE: 1. Chris Windom, 19, Hayward-13.564; 2. Brady Bacon, 69, Dynamics-13.683; 3. Kevin Thomas Jr., 9K, KT-13.731; 4. Chase Stockon, 32, 32 TBI-13.737; 5. Kyle Cummins, 3R, Rock Steady-13.804; 6. Justin Grant, 4, TOPP-13.821; 7. Stephen Schnapf, 61m, Edwards-13.827; 8. Mario Clouser, 6, Clouser-13.857; 9. Carson Short, 71p, Daigh/Phillips-13.858; 10. Matt Goodnight, 39, Goodnight-13.918; 11. Kory Schudy, 28K, Sawyer-13.920; 12. Chris Phillips, 6p, Phillips-13.962; 13. Dustin Clark, 75, Clark-13.979; 14. Anthony D’Alessio, 01, D’Alessio/Parallax-13.990; 15. Matt Westfall, 33m, Marshall-13.997; 16. Sterling Cling, 34, Cling-14.017; 17. Logan Seavey, 19AZ, Reinbold/Underwood-14.023; 18. C.J. Leary, 1, Gile-14.074; 19. Brandon Mattox, 28, Mattox-14.103; 20. Scotty Weir, 22, Goodnight-14.246; 21. Dave Darland, 36d, EZR/Curb-Agajanian-14.299; 22. Anton Hernandez, 5, Baldwin-14.351; 23. Katlynn Leer, 77K, Leer-14.364; 24. Dennis Gile, 13, Gile-14.389; 25. Connor Leoffler, 22L, Leoffler-14.422; 26. Tyler Gunn, 68G, Gunn-14.955; 27. Evan Mosley, 27, Mosley-15.140; 28. Harley Burns, 16, Burns-15.696; 29. Kent Schmidt, 5K, KO-NT.
NEXT USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACES: February 13-14-15, 2020 – Bubba Raceway Park – Ocala, Florida – Winter Dirt Games XI